Vienna Missell is a high school student by age only. Her math skills belong in a college classroom, and she has the statistics to prove it. She is currently in second place in the New York State Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges (NYSMATYC) Math League competition, having just earned the highest score ever recorded by an OCC student.
She answered 18 questions correctly with zero incorrect. That performance placed her second overall in New York State, just behind the top scorer, who answered 20 questions with one incorrect. The student in first place has the highest 'raw score' as calculated in math competitions.
“I’ve always been good at math,” she said. “In elementary school, teachers would give me worksheets that were harder than everyone else’s. I didn’t become interested in it until I started homeschooling and could go at an accelerated pace.”
Missell began taking classes on the OCC campus in the fall 2024 semester. By the time she finishes the spring 2026 semester, she will have accumulated between 30 and 40 OCC credits, along with several AP credits. During the spring semester, while she is taking Differential Equations at OCC, she will also participate in the second and final round of the NYSMATYC Math League competition. The fall and spring semester scores will be added together to determine a winner.
When Missell leaves OCC for a four-year school, she plans to major in Physics. She is not in a degree program at OCC; instead, she is taking college classes because she loves learning and doesn't see any reason to wait for a challenge. For now, she’s proud - but characteristically understated - about her record-setting performance. “I think it’s cool,” she said with a smile.
